Grave markers



Dec. 18, 1956 w. M. PORTER GRAVE MARKERS Filed Jan. ll, 1955 NAW United States Patent Oli ice 2,774,162 Patented Een. 13, 1956 GRAVE MARKERS Wiiliam M. Porter, Montgomery, Aia.

Application January 11, 1955, Seria No. 481,16

1 Claim. (Cl. ith-1245) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural renements in grave markers, monuments, and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a metallic marker which is simple in construction, light in weight, durable in use and which can be readily manufactured into an assembled form and shipped to its destination where it then may be quickly and easily erected.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of novel means for anchoring the marker to the ground, the anchoring means being retractable into the marker so that it is completely unobtrusive while the marker is in storage or shipment.

With the above more important objects and features in View and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention resides in the arrangement of parts and details of construction substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2 2 in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3--3 in Figure 2.

With reference now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the grave marker, monument, or the like, is designated generally by the numeral and is formed entirely from rust resistant material such as stainless steel, etc. This material is preferably in sheet form and the various sheets involved in the construction of the marker have contiguous edges rigidly bonded together, such as by welding, whereby the entire structure is of a sturdy, durable nature.

It will be understood, of course, that the marker may be of any suitable configuration and for purposes of illustration the drawing shows the same as having a main body portion 11 and a base 12. The main body portion 11 has a suitable inscription 13 engraved in the front face thereof, as will be readily apparent.

By virtue of its plate construction, the main body portion as well as the base of the marker are hollow, and 'if desired, a plurality of suitable angle brackets 14 may be welded to inner surfaces of the contiguous edge or corner portions of the plates for purposes of reinforcement.

The essence of novelty of the invention resides in the provision of means for anchoring the marker to the ground, these means comprising a horizontal rod or shaft 15 which is rigidly secured by Welding in the recess or hollow interior 16 of the marker, preferably in the base 12. A hook-shaped anchoring member 17 is provided at its upper end with an eye 18 which is swingably mounted on an intermediate portion of the shaft 15,

while the lower end portion of the member 17 is angulated laterally to provide an anchoring element 19. A pair of shoulders 20 are built up by welding on the shaft 15 at the opposite sides of the eye 18 so as to prevent displacement or sliding of the member 17 longitudinally of the shaft.

By virtue of the eye 18 being swingable on the shaft 15, the anchoring member 17 may be swung upwardly to a retracted position completely within the base 12 of the marker, as illustrated by the dotted lines 17a in Figure 3. ln this position the marker may be conveniently stored or shipped without the anchoring member being obtrusive. However, when the marker is to be erected, the member 17 is swung downwardly on the shaft 15 so that it projects below the lower edge of the base 12, whereupon this projecting portion of the anchoring member may be embedded in the ground, preferably in a concrete block 21 freshly poured into the ground, as shown.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the entire marker may be assembled at its point of manufacture and conveniently shipped to its destination where it may then be quickly and easily erected. It may be again pointed out that the marker may assume any suitable shape and, if desired, the base 12 may be omitted, in which event the shaft 15 carrying the anchoring member 17 may be secured in the lower body portion of the marker itself.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is:

A grave marker comprising a hollow base formed from sheet metal and having an open bottom and a top wall provided with a substantially centrally disposed opening, a hollow metallic body portion secured on the top Wall of said base in register with said opening, a horizontal shaft disposed centrally in said base, the end portions of said shaft being secured to the underside of said top wall at opposite edges of said opening and the intermediate portion of the shaft extending transversely under the opening, a rod-shaped anchoring member provided at one end thereof with an eye swingably mounted substantially midway on said shaft and projecting into said hollow body portion, a laterally angulated ground anchoring element provided at the free end of said anchoring member, and a pair of collars provided on said shaft at opposite sides of said eye, said anchoring member being of such dimension relative to said opening whereby to permit swinging thereof on said shaft from a projected position through the open bottom of the base to a retracted position within said base and body portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,305,692 `Curry lune 3, 1919 1,860,915 Whitman May 3l, 1932 2,046,594 Walton July 7, 1936 2,148,660 Sweeney Feb. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,594 Austria Aug. 25, 1950 

